FOOD & DRINK

BRIDGETON — Not every animal lover can visit a wildlife sanctuary, so Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge in Medford regularly sends staff and a sampling of its permanent menagerie on road trips. Two or three times a week, it is 22-year-old Rileigh Leach behind the wheel to put on another session of “Raptor...

One year ago, I drove down to Jersey Shore Regional Animal Shelter in Vineland, NJ to meet Pedro, a puppy who needed out of the shelter due to lots of anxiety. He was so tiny, he looked like he was smiling at me. He was absolutely adorable and with encouragement from my best friend, Dana & my husband, Jeff & I adopted him! We actually saw a rainbow as we drove home with our new fur baby.

MAURICE RIVER TWP. — Enjoy one of Mother Nature’s true spectacles along the Maurice River – the annual staging of thousands of purple martins. This year, the 23rd Annual Purple Martin Spectacular will be held Wednesday-Saturday, Aug. 14-17 aboard the Bonanza II. (Note: cruise tickets have sold out, but a waitlist is available. Email [email protected] or call 300-5331.) Guests will slowly cruise the wild and scenic Maurice River at sunset with Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River & Its Tributaries river naturalists. A selection of desserts and light snacks is provided, and the crew is practiced and willing to assist people of all abilities get on board the boat. The boat departs from the dock at 8749 Berry Ave., Port Norris at 6:15 p.m. Arrive no later than 6 p.m. The cruise is approximately three hours long. It departs rain or shine. Reservations are required. Cost is $65 per person. Pay in advance. To pay by check, call the office to reserve your spot. Then make a check out to: “CU Maurice River” and mail to PO Box 474, Millville, NJ 08332. In the notes section indicate that the payment is for the Purple Martin Spectacular and the date of the trip. One of the best vantage points to see a staging of North America’s largest swallow is on a boat or kayak on the Maurice River in Mauricetown, which serves as a pre-migratory roosting site for the martins. The Mauricetown Bridge can also make for a vantage point should someone not be fortunate enough to get on the waterway itself. Early to mid-August has proven to be the peak of the staging show at the Mauricetown Causeway.

While the summer concert season in Delaware is starting to fade away like the victims of a Thanos snap, there's still a lot of cool shows to marvel at this season.   Here's a preview of the top must-see concerts on tap in the First State in August.    ...